"Each Asian elephant consumes around 30-40 kilograms of plants every day. Their favourite is the banana tree and the sugarcane.

"The Zoo's colony of 13 orangutans consumes around three 53 litre-sized bins of Mirror Plant and Fijian Fire Plant cuttings each day."

The supplies need to be disease, pesticide and chemical-free, Ms Taylor said.

Fresh branches from gardens or properties within a 20 kilometre radius of the zoo can be collected by zoo staff from during the week and staff will prune any suitable trees or shrubs up to five meters.